Congo / PIDA : visit to Brazzaville- Kinshasa rail/Bridge project

The network of journalists from the Africa Infrastructure Development Program, PIDA, on September 5, 2019, concluded a training workshop in Brazzaville with a visit to the Brazzaville-Kinshasa rail/bridge project. This project seeks to connect the two capitals; the closest in the world, which are separated by the Congo River. Located in ‘mouloukou très chaud’, more than 60 km from the capital Brazzaville, the bridge will measure nearly 1575 meters long and will consist of a toll, a railway, a road and a pavement.

The complexion of the road-rail bridge project would be a milestone for both the governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville. Apart from the fact that it would promote sub-regional integration or connectivity, it would also boost the economies of both nations in terms of infrastructure. To the tune of US $ 550 million, the sub-regional integration project will be partly financed by the African Development Bank in the amount of US $ 210 million. The feasibility studies for this old integration project have already been completed.

The Brazzaville-Kinshasa road-rail bridge project integrates the goal of PIDA and its partners, which advocate the establishment of a vision, policies, strategies and a program of infrastructure development at the regional and international level. This applies to the transport, energy, water, telecommunications and ICT sectors. The main objective of PIDA is to promote socio-economic development and poverty reduction in Africa through the implementation of integrated regional infrastructure networks.

Construction of the road-rail bridge between Brazzaville and Kinshasa will commence in August 2020. And it will take four to five years for it to go operational.